Yusuf of Berbera

Yusuf of Berbera (737-) was the King of the Kingdom of Berbera from 769. Yusuf, a sayyid descended from Husayn ibn Ali, was the progenitor of the Hussainids, a dynasty of Afro-Arabs that ruled over East Africa and Yemen for generations as a major Muslim dynasty. It was Berbera that introduced Islam to the Sudan and Ethiopia after conquering Abyssinia and the various Nubian states, and after Yusuf's death, the Berberan Empire would be formed.

Early life
Yusuf was born in the city of Berbera in present-day Somalia, the son of an Arab merchant and a Somali wife. Yusuf was descended from Husayn ibn Ali through his father, and his family was known as the "Hussainids" to honor their status as sadah. Yusuf's father Hadi al-Hussaini was a merchant ruler of Berbera, and Yusuf was given a classical Muslim education, becoming a faqih educated in Islamic jurisprudence as well as a hafiz who memorized the whole Quran. A devout Muslim, Yusuf wanted to spread Islam to the rest of East Africa one day. In 769, he was elected as the new King of Berbera by other merchants due to his intelligence and his descent from Muhammad, hoping that he could lead Islam forwards in East Africa.

Early reign
Upon becoming the ruler of Berbera, Yusuf decided to start his own dynasty by marrying three Somali courtiers: Basr, Waris, and Fathia. Yusuf sought to unify the Somali states under a common dynasty, so in 769 he conquered Zeila from the rival Shirazid Emirate before proceeding to seize Harer a few months later. He granted his vassal Ali the County of Zeila, and on 23 October 769 he made preparations to go on the hajj as his spymaster Hamid served as regent.

Wives and Children

 * Queen Basr of Berbera (753-), 769-
 * Muhammad I of Berbera (16 December 769-)
 * Queen Waris of Berbera (753-), 769-
 * Queen Fathia of Berbera (753-), 769-